Welcome to chewing on pearls

Even though it might not seem like it on first sight: this site is active! We are a small multi universe community where every member can role play their character(s) in complete freedom. You can play any character on any board/world. There are no fixed site plots, only those created by members on the various boards. You are free to come and go as you please (although we prefer you let us know so people won't wait for replies). Feel free to register with a main account and chat with us or contact members for plots or to work out any idea(s) you might have. Questions? Feel free to PM one of our admins who will try and help you the best we can.

A strong wind brought the brunette slightly out of balance when she stepped into the streets of Diagon Alley. It was windy, cold and a little hazy outside, eventhough it was still summer. Macey felt an oppressed atmosphere - people were almost running through the streets, not looking or talking to one another, doing there grocery shopping as quickly as possible.

She heared the brick wall close behind her, as she stepped quickly towards Florean Fortuescue's Ice Cream Parlour where she and Talissa agreed to meet - which had been closed since the day the man was kidnapped. The building had been vandalised: windows were smashed in and inside it was a total mess. She walked towards the biggest broken window and sighed, as she leaned gently against the frame. Bitterly, she stared into the destroyed Ice Cream Parlour. She used to come here every week during every summer holiday and sometimes even got a free ice cream when she got the man talking. She turned her head away a little angry. The world was in a state of war. People had been calling it the Second Wizarding War. She was really happy Hogwarts School would continue its education, but she kept wondering what the education would be like now Dumbledore was gone...

She was happy that the DA was still up and running. Macey predicted the DA would probably be more active than ever this coming schoolyear, since the war had reached Hogwarts as well: McGonagall was replaced by Snape and some Deatheaters had apparently joined the teachersteam.

As she was thinking about her sixth year of school, she let her eyes wander through the streets, searching for her favourite redhead.

We are the poisoned youthReturning to rainy England after having spend the summer holidays in sunny Italy with her father's family was quite the setback. Even though summer was still going strong the British weather was still the same as it ever had been. Grey clouds masked the sun and a chilly wind had forces the redhead to dig up one of her sweaters she had worn last winter. With a scarf wrapped around her neck she made her way towards Diagon Alley along with her brother. She was glad to have seen him over the course of summer as she barely got to see him after he had finished school. He was out and about now, trying to get his life sorted out. She followed him through the brick wall where they were faced with a grim looking Diagon Alley. In previous years the streets were buzzing with people and laughter and shops would display all their colorful goods in the windows and on the streets before the entrances. Yet this year things were more down and depressed than ever. Various shops were closed or even barricaded with wooden planks before the shop windows and doors. The shops that were still in business also looked more grim that usual, although the grey weather could also be partially to blame for it. Talissa let her gaze slide across the buildings along the street that she and her brother were walking down and for a moment she was glad she had her big brother with her. Unconsciously she moved closer towards him, clutching her purse close to her side. Who knew what kind of strange people wandered these streets nowadays.

All the developments that were going on scared her and she had felt a sigh of relief when she was back in Italy on holiday, away from all the tension in the English wizarding world. She knew that things were changed at Hogwarts, although she was glad she was able to return to it. She shook off the thoughts about a changed Hogwarts and forced herself to think about all the good and happy things that came with returning to school. After they turned around to corner to the main shopping street Talissa started to relax a bit more. Most shops here were still open and there we more people roaming around, chatting happily with each other. Alongside the Hogwarts students buying their supplies for the upcoming year she also noticed the variety of adult wizards. And to the eye none of them looked like Death Eaters, although you could never be sure about that these days, Talissa reminded herself.

After chatting with her brother about various subjects and what they both needed to buy Talissa looked up to see they were getting closer to the Ice Cream Parlour where she and Macey would meet up every year. She felt excitement bubbling up as she thought about meeting her friend again. She couldn't wait to get some ice cream, even though the weather dictated you shouldn't, and tell Macey all about her Italian adventures. Her excitement halted when she actually saw the Parlour and realized it too had been closed down. She slowed down in her steps and gave her brother a distressed look. Regaining her posture after this sudden setback she quickly tried to look around in search of her friend. A smile appeared upon her face as she saw her friend standing around the corner. Before she quickened in her pace her brother touched her shoulder and noted he would go the other way to get his items of interest. After a small but gladly received kiss on Talissa's forehead he told her goodbye, waving at Macey who had already spotted them. Talissa then turned her attention back to the Ice Cream Parlour and towards Macey, hastening herself towards the brunette with a smile set upon her lips.

When she was close enough, Talissa spread out her arms and wrapped them around her friend's shoulders, hugging her as they usually did when the met up or said goodbye. "Maceeeeey!" Talissa exclaimed, laughing after her own silly exclamation. "I'm so glad to see you again." She loosened her grip upon her friend and stepped back from the hug, looking her friend in the eyes. "How was your Summer?" She was excited to hear about what Macey had been up to and even as eager to tell her about her own adventures in sunny Italy. "I do hope the weather hasn't been this grim and grey the whole few months." she noted as it began to drizzle with rain. Talissa diverted her eyes away from her friend to look at the Parlour beside her and the shops next to it. She shook her head to wave away the thoughts springing to mind about how depressing everything looked and how she feared Hogwarts may have the same feeling lingering over it. She didn't want to ruin their reunion with her immediately expressing her worries and anxiety. No, today they would simply catch up on each other's stories and buy their supplies. She couldn't wait the have her new books and items in her hands and see whichever new stuff they would learn this year.

A smile enlightened her face when she saw the redhead with her pretty blue-ish eyes coming up towards her. She wrapped her arms around her best friend, giving her a long I-missed-you-alot hug.

'Talissa!' she responded with a big smile. 'I am so happy to see you!' As the two of them let go of each other, she responded Talissa's question and Macey's smile leaked away.

'Pretty depressing, actually. I've been at home, following everthing that's going on.' She continued whispering. 'My parents have joined the Order. They are pretty open to me about it, so I can't really say that I've enjoyed myself.'

She silenced for a bit, as she pointed towards the Ice Cream Parlour. 'He's been kidnapped,' she said gloomy and she sighed. 'Apparently taken by force. No one knows why or where he is. I persume he's dead.' She turned her head away and stared through the streets, without really looking. 'I'm not sure if you heared, but -' she locked her light eyes back on Talissa again, '-McGonagall has been replaced by Snape and we have two new teachers: the Carrows. Brother and sister. Deatheaters.' She shivered for a moment and grabbed Talissa's hands.

'I really hope you'll reconsider joining DA, T. We could use someone with your skill. You're extremely good in healing.' She shook her head, as she realised what she was asking her friend to do. Risking her life for the safety of others sounded like music to her ears, but she knew Talissa preferred the safety-zone. She didn't blame her: surviving sounded like music as well.

'I'm sorry to dump this all on you on our first day back together. This day is suppose to be fun, like always!' She examined Talissa's face and started smiling again, yet still a bit gloomy. 'Damn, T, you have a tan! Tell me all about Italy. Have you met some cute boys over there?'

We are the poisoned youth"Sshh!" Talissa uttered quickly after Macey started talking. "You don't know who's listening." Quickly glancing around the street to see who was roaming about Talissa turned her back towards the street to prevent people from seeing their faces and find out what they were talking about. Talissa's face turned from a happy to a worrisome expression as she looked back at her friend. Talk about the Order dropped like a bombshell inside Talissa's mind. She felt her stomach turn with the thought of all the horrid things that might have went on here while she was away for the summer. More bad news came from her friend's lips and Talissa had a hard time processing what she was saying. "W-w-what?!" she exclaimed on a whispering tone. "Are you saying Snape's headmas.." Before she could finish her sentence Macey grabbed her hands which snapped Talissa out of her internal train of thoughts that had started rumbling around in her mind.

For a moment Talissa looked her friend in the eyes, horribly unsure of what to say. She tried to comprehend the current situation where her friend had become part of this great underground rebellion against You-Know-Who and she was open and clear about it to her. People from all around the wizarding world were being abducted and perhaps even tortured and killed, and yet still Macey brought herself deeper into the organization that was rattling the Dark Lord's cage. Unwillingly Talissa felt a rush of worries for her friend bubbling up. She hated it when she became scared and worried, especially when her friend was being so brave and strong. "Mace, please, it's too dangerous." Talissa knew she wouldn't be able to talk Macey out of it all and change her mind, but still she wished she could. She wanted her to be safe, for everyone to be safe. And searching for danger and running towards it didn't seem like the best game plan. "We shouldn't be talking about this. Not here. Not.. not at all." She added her last words more as a faint exhale than proper talk. She shook her head, not sure whether she was just making clear she rejected the whole idea or whether she was just utterly confused by it all.

Talissa had to recompose herself when Macey switched from serious talk to being her usual bubbly self. She smiled when Macey started about the tan visible on her face, and of course, boys. "You are horrible Mace!" Talissa exclaimed, trying to push back the gloomy thoughts that wandered her mind. "The first thing you ask about is the boys over there!" She looked at her friend with a semi-cheeky smile. "Don't you want to know about the historical buildings I visited? Or the nature I hiked through?" She smiled at her friend and bit her lower lip for a second, teasing her friend that there were more interesting things to talk about than historical buildings. A chilly wind made her adjust her scarf to prevent her neck from getting cold and she looked across the street to a store which was indeed open. "Let's get inside and out of this grim streets, shall we?" Talissa looked at her friend and smiled softly, indicating she didn't just mean leaving the street but also the conversation they just had. Taking some steps away from Macey towards the store across the street she turned around to face her again, holding out her hand for her to grab and join her. "We got to start buying stuff at a certain point anyway."

The worry on her friends face usually let her heart melt - and this time was no different. She smiled a sad smile and nodded, as a response to Talissa's 'it's too dangerous'. 'I know,' she said sighing. 'All those mysterious deaths and disappearings scare me too, you know. It's not safe to go anywhere these days. But I'm glad that we're together.' She gave Talissa another hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was true that she was scared - she was scared for her parents, her family, for all of her friends and for her unknown future - but that usually gave her the strength to go on, to keep helping, fighting. It wouldn't feel right if she didn't do anything. She had to help and fight to beat this war and she wanted to do it with her best friend.

Macey started giggling. Of course she wasn't allowed to talk about boys when she made an amazing cultural trip to a beautiful, historical country. She threw her arm over Talissa's shoulder and chuckled again. 'Of course I want to know all about that, hun! Expand my knowledge! In the meantime, you can fill me in on all those dark, tall and handsome men you've shared a kiss with - or perhaps shared some sheets with.' She moved one eyebrow up and down, as she looked playful to her best friend. She knew that Talissa wouldn't waste her time on something as 'useless' as boys, when you had the entire, beatiful world on your feet to explore. She was right, of course, but in Macey's opinion, a holiday wouldn't be complete without flirting and getting a guy hooked on you. Love was one of the most exhilarating things in this world.

Talissa looked at her with a soft smile, her eyes hinting that she wanted to end the conversation and go on with their shopping. Macey nodded as a response and took her applylist out of her bag. 'Let's go to Flourish & Blotts first,' she said, as she kept her eyes on the paper and hooked her arm in Talissa's, eventhough she stuck her hand out to her.